This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-215356, filed Jul. 29, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a personal computer provided with a flat panel display, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a plasma display, which can have its height adjusted.
Conventionally, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device is widely used as a display device for a personal computer. However, CRT display devices are inconvenient in that they are big, heavy, bulky, and consume a lot of power.
Under such circumstances, techniques for flat panel displays, such as LCDs or plasma displays, have been making remarkable progress in recent years. For example, LCD devices can have a display color number of 16,900,000 and a display size of 15 inches or more, which can compare with the performance of CRT display devices. Furthermore, in recent years, various kinds of LCD devices, which have a thin profile and small power consumption, have been developed. As a result, LCD devices have been adopted for the display of personal computers. On the other hand, manufacturing techniques for personal computers of the desktop type have been also making progress to allow mounting of the computers to be highly integrated. As a result, it is possible to arrange the main circuit section of a computer in the support mechanism, or the pedestal casing of a display unit.
Generally, a flat panel display unit is arranged for a personal computer, as follows. In the case of a personal computer of the desktop type, an LCD casing is rotatably supported by an LCD support mechanism, which is independent of the main body in structure. In the case of a personal computer of the notebook type, the lower portion of an LCD casing is rotatably supported by the main body through a hinge. However, conventionally, neither personal computers of the desktop type nor the notebook type have any mechanism to adjust the height of the display unit.
In this respect, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-292932 discloses a portable information-processing apparatus having a height-adjustable display panel. In this apparatus, the display panel is arranged between a pair of slide members extending from the main unit and is movable up and down. This arrangement is conceived not only to place the display panel at a desirable height for an operator, but also to easily check sheets of paper delivered from a printer at the rear side of the apparatus. This arrangement, however, is not sufficient to make the whole apparatus compact, to protect the display panel, or to easily operate the apparatus, in light of flat panel display units of the next generation which are increasing in size.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve a personal computer provided with a flat panel display unit, so as to make the whole apparatus compact, to protect the display panel, and to easily operate the apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer comprising:
a keyboard;
a main unit including a computer circuit for controlling various operations of the personal computer;
a display unit arranged to be operated by the computer circuit, and including a display area for displaying information inputted from the keyboard;
a support member for supporting the display unit such that the display unit is supported to the main unit thorough the support member;
a stand portion arranged on the main unit to support the support member of the display unit; and
an adjusting mechanism provided to the stand portion, for adjusting height position of the display unit by supporting the support member to be movable up and down.
The computer according to the first aspect may be arranged such that the adjusting mechanism includes an elevating member, which is movable up and down relative to the main unit and supports the display unit, and locking means for locking the elevating member at an arbitrary height.
The computer according to the first aspect may be arranged such that the locking means includes a rack arranged on the elevating member to extend in a vertical direction, and a stopper arranged to detachably engage with the rack.
The computer according to the first aspect may be arranged such that the adjusting mechanism has an elevating member, which is movable up and down relative to the main unit and supports the display unit, and a rack-and-pinion mechanism for moving the elevating member up and down.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer comprising:
a main unit including a keyboard for inputting various instructions and a computer circuit for controlling various operations;
a flat panel display unit arranged to be operated by the computer circuit on the basis of instructions inputted from the keyboard, and including a display area for displaying information inputted from the keyboard;
a stand portion through which the main unit supports the flat panel display unit to be rotatable and movable up and down;
an elevating mechanism arranged on a back of the flat panel display unit reverse to the display area, for moving the flat panel display unit up and down relative to the stand portion while the stand portion stands on the main unit; and
an adjusting mechanism provided to the stand portion, for adjusting height of the flat panel display unit, which is moved up and down by the elevating mechanism.
The computer according to the second aspect may be arranged such that the adjusting mechanism has an elevating member, which is arranged on the back of the flat panel display unit to be movable up and down relative to the stand portion, and includes a rack arranged thereon, and a stopper arranged to engage with the rack and lock the elevating member at an arbitrary height.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer comprising:
a keyboard for inputting various instructions;
a main unit including a computer circuit for controlling various operations;
a flat panel display unit arranged to be operated by the computer circuit on the basis of instructions inputted from the keyboard, and including a display area for displaying information inputted from the keyboard;
a stand portion arranged on the main unit and supporting the flat panel display unit; and
a support member arranged on a back of the flat panel display unit reverse to the display area, for engaging with the stand portion such that the flat panel display unit is supported by the main unit, wherein the support member is arranged to detachably engage with the stand portion having a plurality of engaging portions to engage therewith, such that height of the flat panel display unit is adjustable.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer comprising:
a main unit having a computer circuit;
a display unit arranged to be operated by the computer circuit;
a stand-connecting section for supporting the display unit to be movable up and down on the main unit;
a processing section for displaying a specific operation button on the display unit;
a pointing device for designating the operation button displayed on the display unit; and
a driving mechanism for adjusting height of the stand-connecting section, when the specific operation button is designated by the pointing device.
The computer according to the fourth aspect may be arranged such that the stand-connecting section has a strut standing on the main unit, an elevating member, which is movable up and down relative to the strut and supports the display unit, and a ball screw mechanism, which includes a ball screw shaft arranged to move the elevating member up and down and a ball screw nut arranged to engage with the ball screw shaft.
The computer according to the fourth aspect may be arranged such that the driving mechanism has adjusting means for continuously adjusting the height of the stand-connecting section while the specific operation button is designated by the pointing device.
The computer according to the fourth aspect may be arranged such that the specific operation button has first and second operation buttons, such that the height of the stand-connecting section is continuously adjusted to move the display unit up while the first operation button is designated by the pointing device, and the height of the stand-connecting section is continuously adjusted to move the display unit down while the second operation button is designated by the pointing device.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.